₦airaland Forum

Served in Mkpat Enin LGA,Akwa ibom state nd was always travellin to Uya free of charge,always when I was on my cap,free ride to uya or Eket,sum'll even dash me cash sef,we used to call the free ride Sonson eti eti

makzeze: FCT Minister, save us from hooligans who clamp our cars.

At the time Abuja streets were being demarcated for parking and it was announced that motorists would pay a token for the use of the spaces, I was one of those who supported the move.
I felt that such a step would, at least, create employment. Secondly, it could enhance the security of motor vehicles, as operatives would oversee vehicles to prevent robbers from stealing or pilfering them.
My positive attitude began to give way to suspicion when I began to hear motorists complain about extortions. Then, I became a victim. I bought a N1,000 parking ‘recharge’ card. Before I could exhaust it, the FCT authorities were said to have cancelled the contract with the company whose card I had purchased. The new contractors demanded that I purchased their own ‘recharge’ card. Because I didn’t want to lose more money, I decided to pay-as-I-go.
Then, one hot afternoon, I received the shock of my life. I parked on Ademola Adetokunbo Street in Wuse 2, and entered into GTBank for some banking transactions. I personally called the park-and-pay operator on that street, paid the tax of N50 and ensured he attached the ticket to my car before leaving. In less than 30 minutes, I had completed my transactions in the bank. But it was raining, so I had to wait at the porch of  GTBank until the rain subsided. After about 10 minutes, it did and I rushed across the road to jump into my car. But, alas, I saw it had been clamped!
In anger and bewilderment, I looked for the operative whom I had paid N50 to find out why.
“I’m not the person who did it,” the young man replied, looking away in I’m-not-involved attitude. Pointing at some persons loitering about 100 metres away, he said, “I told them not to clamp your car, but they claimed you had over-stayed by 10 minutes. They are members of our task force. Their work is different from mine.”
I walked briskly to the team, asking why they clamped my car.
“Oga, we’re working for government,”  one of them replied. With a dull face and yellow eyes, he looked more like a hooligan than a civilised young man who should relate with the public. “Go and look at your car. Your ticket has expired.”
“Did I refuse to pay for the extra time?” I asked pointedly, thinking I could appeal to his sense of reason.
Instead of responding, he brought out an invoice of the Integrated Parking Services, and showed me a long list of offences which attract sanctions. On top of it was ‘Expired Ticket,’ an offence that attracted N5,000 fine. I demanded for the definition of expired ticket because it was unfair to clamp a car because the ticket expired by about 10 minutes.
“I’m here to make money for my company,” the operatives murmured as I raised my voice to disagree with, what he called my expired ticket. “You have your own job. I have a target to make money so that I can be paid. Oga, you better pay your fine.”
At this point, it dawned on me that the Integrated Parking Services was not contented with collecting the N50 tax from motorists per 30 minutes. The company was rather interested in extorting innocent and hapless car owners so that they can make more money. Why should I cough out N5,000 simply because my parking ticket expired by 10 minutes? What sort of penalty was it?
I would like to appeal to human rights activists to test this extortion in the court of law, because everyday many FCT residents suffer my fate. When the roads were constructed, were there provisions for commercial parking? What value did the operators of the parking services add to the roads before they began to tax Nigerians and, not just collecting tax, but even bringing in hooligans to abuse and extort them? The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed, should intervene to halt this dehumanisation of motorists. Also, I would appeal to the National Assembly, which makes laws for the FCT, to halt this unwholesome practice.


Source:www.SundayTrust.com.ng

this bullshit happened to me on friday around Maitama high court axis,after i paid the boy a 50nairahe told me if my time expires my car'll be clamped,i warned him to tell those pipu clampin cars not to clamp my car,unfortunately for the boy,when i left the court my car was clamped,i really beat up the hell out of the boy,at the end of the day,my car was unclamped without me payin a dime

After watchıng The Governorshıp Campaıgn Flag Off of Labour Partys DR Ifeanyı Ubah,ıam Optımıstıc thıs Man ıs not ın thıs Race for a Joke,ım even Though not an Indegıne of Anambra state but lookıng at the crıses ın PDP,acceptabılıty hudles of APGA,Ifeanyı Ubah And Chrıs Ngıge are not to be Underrated or rather Overlooked,especıally Dr Ifeanyı Ubah

011 presidential race candidate, journalist / publisher, motivational speaker and businessman Dele Momodu wrote a comprehensive overview of the current political situation in the form of address to President Jonathan.

Read the full text below:


Your Excellency,

I'm compelled to write you again today since I don't have any other form of access to deliver this to you. I'm also not sure you read the other open letters I have written to you, especially 'My Kobo Advise to Mr. President'. If you did I hope that you digested the content and pondered on them as I expected you would. My doubts are due to your continued actions.

You must be wondering why I have chosen the present title. The reason is not far-fetched. Since my Kobo advice seems not to have resonated with you and your aides, and our budgets are now quoted in trillions, this title is ostensibly symbolic and truly emblematic of our latest craze and propensity for mentioning figures that most calculators won't be able to evaluate.

The decision to write this latest epistle was reached after watching the bizarre movie that was acted by your fellow party men and produced by very senior directors of your seemingly formidable political organisation. Let me confess that no scriptwriter would have visualised such melodrama on any regular day. If anyone had ever suggested that such a humiliating scenario would occur we would have dismissed it as a product of a cruel imagination or lunacy. But we saw this one before our very eyes and became stupefied to say the least.

Let me assure you, Sir that it is in the nature of politics and politicians for such brickbats to occur. We must thank God for little mercies because we are lucky in these parts that citizens don't pelt their leaders with rotten eggs and juicy tomatoes. You would remember that someone once threw shoes, javelin-like, at President George Bush during a Press conference and his face could have been badly bruised and readily bloodied but for the fact that his reflexes were superbly efficient and automatically responsive.

It is for this reason that I wish you can put the matter behind you as quickly as possible and forgive even if you cannot forget. It is sad that you apparently did not envisage the tragedy that was going to befall your party and tear your members asunder. Those of us on the side-lines knew it was a matter of time before the implosion would ignite and ricochet across the land like an Iraqi bomb. The collapse of a party that had held Nigeria by the jugular for the past 14 years was destined to carry some collateral damage with it.

If you and your aides were politically savvy, you probably would have managed the situation better. And if the truth must be told, most of strategists you parade are nothing but tyros who know little or nothing about the complexities that make up Nigeria. They sit in their gilded cage of Aso Rock and forget you are inhabitants of the place today through the sheer trickery of providence and convoluted collaboration of godfathers.

If your kitchen cabinet understood the rudiments of politics, they would have hopefully averted this monumental disaster by avoiding a war they were bound to lose before it even started. They allowed you to be messed up and tossed around due to their gross incompetence and pomposity. Your rabid supporters are behaving like the peacock or to be more precise like the soldiers of fortune that most political jobbers are often are in Nigeria. Pity is they still can see the handwriting on the wall nor decipher the code of grand conspiracy that is so palpable. They are gloating all over the place and deluding themselves about the power of life and death which you wield as the Nigerian President. But a power misused is a power wasted. Reality is not all wars are won through the use of force or violence.

I will now go ahead to highlight some of the terminal mistakes made by your embattled camp and juxtapose with what I consider to be the practical solutions to these humongous problems. Whether we like former President Olusegun Obasanjo or not he's a man who truly believes in the unity of Nigeria. I cannot but be very charitable to him on this occasion. As a man who played a crucial role during the Nigerian civil war, I believe this has made him permanently paranoid and terminally neurotic about the likelihood of Nigeria ever breaking up in his lifetime or even thereafter. Obasanjo was therefore the one man God used to make it possible for an Ijawman to ultimately become the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

It is no longer relevant or important to us if Obasanjo did what he did genuinely out of love for the so-called minorities to have a chance or for very personal and selfish reasons. Even if his decision to install as President and Vice President a sickly Alhaji Umaru Yar'Adua and a taciturn Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is turning dangerously pyrrhic, credit must still go to Baba Iyabo that he fulfilled all righteousness by handing power to you through the backdoor, thus empowering you to grab the chicken that lays the golden eggs that we all savour today. The essence of this unusual but objective hagiography on Obasanjo today is that you should have done everything humanly possible to tolerate and accommodate his human foibles and overt idiosyncrasies.

The costliest mistake you ever made was to have allowed your relationship with a veteran of many wars to degenerate to the level fisticuffs or what the Yoruba call 'roforofo'. It is a battle you can't afford to fight because you have no chance of winning it at the end of the day. Please try and tell those illusionists who typically swarm around the corridors of power like locusts that if they have forgotten how God brought you to the pinnacle of the temple, your memory and gratitude are intact. And that you will never encourage Lucifer to send you on a kamikaze dive.

The second mistake was the manner your acolytes exposed your second term bid prematurely. It was totally unnecessary. As an African, you must be aware of the adage that a wise man always keeps the name of his impending baby to himself until after his wife delivers. The manner they've been threatening hellfire and brimstone if you don't secure a second term has been very rude, crude and outlandishly provocative. No Jupiter can stop you from running if you so desire and eventually decide to try your luck again. It is true that you promised to serve only one term but it is still entirely your privilege and prerogative to change your mind. That can't be a crime because we all do it most of the time. It is also your Constitutional right and you should not have been lured into dissipating some badly-needed energy on useless rigmarole and semantics.

Sir, if I were you I would have concentrated rigidly and passionately on delivering the dividends of democracy by making life better for the generality of Nigerians. Your greatest armour against real and imagined enemies is performance. If you can make conscious effort to curb the wasteful ostentation and the obsession for pomp and pageantry ascribed to your office I'm certain even your vociferous critics would become your assiduous fanatics. What you have advertently done by abandoning governance on the altar of pecuniary politics is to allow your common enemies to gang-up and have enough time to mobilise their war-chest, assemble their arsenal and fire their long-range missiles.

The third mistake is the commonest in all wars known to mankind. You opened up your flanks by fighting too many people on too many fronts. Only a poor General does that. In the haste to crush the rebellion of some of your former foot-soldiers as well as your implacable enemies, you got sucked in because you were stupendously engaged in too many directions. This was bound to take its toll on you and your combatants. Coupled with that was the obvious fact that you underrated your opponents. That is usually a regrettable strategy in guerrilla warfare.

It should have been clear to you that you had to employ a new, even if temporary, modus operandi once the Governors loyal to you were soundly and roundly beaten by the Amaechi supporters. If I were you Sir, I would have made a tactical withdrawal by sticking to the lie that I knew nothing about the Nigeria Governors Forum crisis and maintain my straight poker face. I would have reassessed the efficacy of those who sold the dummy that all was well but could not deliver the goods after fallen jejunely for the scam of collecting some fake signatures. What I expected you to do was to accept the temporary defeat with equanimity and invite Rotimi Amaechi into a room and embrace him warts and all. You seemed to have done this at Port Harcourt Airport and expected you build on that window of opportunity. I was one of those who saluted your statesmanship on that occasion but was sorely disappointed when you allowed the opportunists to send you back to the trenches.

I still don't know who subsequently persuaded you to fall for the self-immolating decision to continue to recognise the Jang faction when it was obvious the man lost the election fair and square. That was the moment you lost all moral authority and rights by allowing some political adventurers to drag you down the depths of their abject pettiness. You should have borrowed a leaf from Obasanjo's experience with the once powerful Atiku Abubakar who controlled the Governors and practically brought the former President on his knees begging for support. As a veteran soldier, Obasanjo was sufficiently trained in the art and science of tactical retreat. The crafty General knows that he who fights and runs away lives to fight another day.

The example of Obasanjo's strategic cowardice was very instructive and opulently didactic. As he told everyone who cared to listen: what Atiku did was tantamount to pulling out a loaded gun and pointing it at his head. He knew it was no use arguing with a man who could pull the trigger in a mere matter of seconds. The only option left was to use the power of native intelligence and foxiness by persuading the man not to commit premeditated murder. Once Atiku made the error of pitying his supposed prey and showing mercy, he became a dead man walking himself. Same goes for James Ibori who walked into a similar trap.

Sir, though your case is slightly different it still bears some resemblance to that of Obasanjo. Your infantry men wasted all your bullets without catching an antelope not to talk of capturing elephants, the king of the forests. You should have wooed Amaechi to your side at all cost because he was apparently equal to all your own combined forces. A hunter should always be proud of a brave son. You can do with a few guys like that in the days of tribulation. It is noteworthy that Governors control their states. How do you hope to secure your second term ambition if you control less than half of the states in the country? What is more, Amaechi is capable of delivering one of the largest votes to you from Rivers State or conversely waste most of it if he decides to be vengeful.

Finally, I wish to assure you Sir that it is not an act of timidity to seek peace and tranquillity in a country where everything seems to be going haywire. Whosoever tells you to unleash terror and mayhem on your enemies is not a true friend. Elections are won as a game of figures. The candidate who is able to attract the largest number of voters becomes electable. Rigging may never work like it used to due to several developments in the world. The New Media, otherwise known as Social Media, is breaking down walls of intimidation and oppression. Telephony and the internet combined have become more lethal than most conventional weapons. At the touch of buttons, many wonders can instantly unfold and make it possible to monitor occurrences in distant places. There is also the human factor, like the case of that Kwara man who rejected the fake election that awarded him victory when he knew in his heart that he lost. Mass education is beginning to change how we do many things even if slowly.

Your best bet is to stay on the path of honour, peace, equity, justice and unimpeachable truth. God has been too kind to you. Even if you return to your village today, you have enjoyed what no one has ever attained before which is being permanently in power and high positions since coming into relevance and prominence from relative obscurity. There is nothing more to add. If you work harder on a few of the content of your Transformation Agenda, you may easily end up as a hero. Getting a second term if you stay lucky will then be icing on your national cake. You don't need all this stress and blackmail in the name of seeking what is not necessarily glorious. I read somewhere that a man is powerful when he controls power and powerless when power controls him. The choice is yours.

Sir, permit me to conclude with a powerful Yoruba proverb: when we are praying not to be put to shame but the prayer is not instantly answered we should start praying that God should at least keep us alive.

This is my story. This is my song.

Akamu and Stew: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/09/sue-nscdc-fashola-orders-opd/?utm_source=&utm_medium=twitter

the Nıgerıan medıa needs to partner wıth securıty agencıes ın curbın crımes related to vanderlısatıon of crude oıl products,the bıased manner they seem to be reportın thıs ıssue ıs soo Alarmın,we must not 4get the fact that Ejıgbo ıs an area ın lagos and lagosıans are notorıous for makın quık cash through takıng advantages of unfortunate ıncıdences,those resıdents were actually caught wıth jerrıcans of pms stealıng ıt,the polıce are not ın anycase under the law permıtted to handle cases of vanderlısatıon or any case relatın to pms,ıgnorance ıs not an escuse ın the court of law.ı want to let us here know that those arrested were not ınnocent.

For The Fırst Tıme ın Hıstory,Doyın Okukpe and Reuben Abatı have kept Quıet,ı was expectın realtıme Bashıng and ınsults Hauled at Atıku and the PDP governors that Staged a walkout @ the Partys Mını Conventıon to Form a Factıon of PDP but uptıll now,neıther of them have saıd nothıng,On Bamanga Tukur's part too ı was expectın an Expel letter ıssued yesterday as he ıs known for takıng no nonsence atall,he even suspended a PDP governor for not pıckın hıs calls,nothıng has stıll beıgn heard from the strongman chaırman,thıs Above statement Proves that ın Nıgerıa once you know your onıons, you can do whatever you want and stıll go away harmless

GraphicsPlus: Atiku and 7 governors walked out of the PDP national convention to shoot themselves at the feet at Shehu Yaradua Centre in a bid to factionalize PDP. But what Atiku and his boys did not know is that their action is an express cruise to victory for Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan(GCFR).

It is no news that at the Special Convention of the PDP yesterday, the Turaki of Adamawa, Nigeria's former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar apparently sensed the obvious failure to secure his political interests in the convention, quickly made an eye contact and body signs to his boys, the dissident governors and co, and the result was an immediate walk-out in watery protest that resulted in forming a purported new PDP. This inglorious exit was certainly insignificant as the mammoth crowd remained same; indicating their poor followership in the party.

I have studied and analyzed this infamous move of Atiku and his boys and considered the event and possible resultant effects. By this, I see the birth of infamous 'new PDP' as clear signs of GEJ's shortest cut to Aso Rock unhindered. It is totally clear that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the nation's electoral umpire will NEVER recognize 'the new PDP' and its leadership making it impossible to field-in candidate in 2015 election. Again, with Atiku as leader with presidential ambition under this unpopular platform, and if it later leads to Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM chaired by one of Atiku's aides, which will actually be the end of the road that leads to nowhere near presidential villa come 2015. In the other hand, the major opposition to the GEJ's and PDP, All Progressives Congress, APC is already in internal squabbles over who flies the party's flag in the 2015 presidential election. In this case, the old trojan horse, the 'professional' presidential candidate of all seasons, Gen. Mohammed Buhari and others of northern extraction are already on ground to tear the zone (North) in pieces to the advantage of PDP.

Already, GEJ's men are in full control of five out of the six geo-political zones. The North-East for now is the zone yet to be occupied by GEJ's political network. Taraba, Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe and part of Adamawa states of the North-East are in GEJ's safe hands. In Katsina and Kaduna of the North-West the fresh air is still full blown. While Jigawa, Kano, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara are opposition's stronghold, though of no much import as GEJ emerged without them in 2011.

North-Central for sure is GEJ compliant with Kogi, Plateau, Benue states, and Abuja FCT, leaving Nasarawa to its fate while Kwara and Niger states are still indecisive. For South-South and South-East zones, they will always remain GEJ's indisputable fertile ground and ever untouchable by the anti-GEJ. The South-West states certainly have no strong interest at the centre. The guys there are contented with the control of the regional states and will of course repeat their 2011 miracle for GEJ.

This position is logically and objectively x-rayed.

Atiku has just made the greatest mistake in his political career by trying to factionalize PDP. He has failed to understand that what this means for him and his governor boys is that they are sitting on the fence.

*******************************************************************

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GCFR) is the best president Nigeria has ever had. Sentiments apart. But do you notice how INEC is freely exercising their duties independently without GEJ interfering? If it were OBJ, who is a judge to rule and order PDP and INEC to recognize Andy Uba as the authentic governorship candidate for Anambra gubernatorial when the National secretariat which is under the president favours another candidate? Goodluck Jonathan is an evangelist of rule of law. We must forget sentiments, religion and tribalism and throw our weights behind him come 2015.

God bless Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GCFR)!
God bless Federal Republic of Nigeria!

Your Analysıs Sound lıke You are dıscussıng ın a Bear Parlour,And Funny enough,The Presıdent Whom You Are Claımın To Be Speakın For Made an Immedıate Move Yesterday To Meet Personally Wıth The 7 Governors,ıf you stıll watch your tv.Polıtıcs ıs Not Played On Naıraland,It'll ınterest You To Know That The Governors That Walked Out on The Presıdent and Theır Party are The Most Experıenced Governors ın the Country.Natıonal Polıtıcs ıs not Played Lıke NURTW,Vıllage Square,Market Unıon,Okada,student Unıon etc Electıons lıke you just dısplayed ın your analysıs,When next you are Analysıng Natıonal Polıtıcs try to analyse ıt from a broader and wıder perspectıve than thıs shalow ıgnorance you just dısplayed here.

Strong indications emerged from the Monday meeting by President Goodluck Jonathan, President Goodluck Jonathan and governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP that governors Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State and Jonah Jang of Plateau State who both chair two Secretariats of the Nigeria Governors' Forum, NGF will step down.

According to a source at the meeting which took place at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Amaechi who emerged as Chairman of the NGF for his second term in May after an election held at the Rivers State Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja after scoring 19 votes to defeat Jang of Plateau State who polled 16 votes will drop the position as well as Jang for peace to return to the family of the party

No security agency needs to be scrabed for any other,Countries such as The Britain,France,Saudi-Arabia,Swizerland,Geniva,etc has police and also Civil Defence,why not the call for scappin of any?even in nigeria why is it only the police that have issues/reservations/hatred for NSCDC?coz de Army,Navy,Airforce,Immigration,Prisons,Customs etc not complaining.infact it is the nigerian army that trains NSCDC 2geda with their personells mixed on Arms.

For the purpose of clarification,Arms held by NSCDC are approved because dealin with vandals has to involve arms,coz a vandal is most times worst dan an Armed robber bkos it is a properly planned crime d@ fetches instant nd more funds,Just for clarification sake, every security organisation provides a specialised. Service for the government targeted at the maitenance of peace and order in de country,its just dat greed and curruption makes certain security organisations feel they have all the powwer,its a lie,thats what we call harmonisation between security agencies,they also provide complimentary roles 2 each oda in Joint operations

Also Nscdc has the ff functions:1)Assistin in de maintenance(just like any oda security agency do)and in de protection and rescuing of de civil population durin periods of emmergency,2)Recommend to the minister of interior the registration of private guard companies and from time to time inspect the premises and the facilities,supervise and periodically organise organise workshops,seminals nd refresher trainings and approve same of private guard companies.3)Maintain 24hours Suveilance over infrastructures,sites and projects for the federal,state and local govts.4)Enter nd search any premises and seize any material suspected 2 have bin vandalised,or a illegal suspected dealer of petroleun products,or materials used by power holding company of nigeria,postal service,or any public utility or infrastructure.

The NSCDC has their core mandates as authorised in the NSCDC act of 2003 nd Ammended in 2007 that are different from that of the NPF,which include the followin1)Anti-Vandalisation of petroleum pipelines,(2)Registration,monitorin&supervision of private guard companies.the Ammended act also gave Nscdc the power 2 arrest with or without a warrant,detain,investigate nd institute legal proceedings by or in the name ofthe attorney general of the federation(stronger than that of the npf dat charge in the name of de IG of police).

Dereformer: Mennnn, I envy this family. This is indeed a noble family. It is not about wealth. It is about determination and focus. I know many wealthier families in Nigeria whose children are vagabonds.

If the Okonjos are moslems their degrees will be in the act of bombing and terrorism. I still remember Abdulmutalab.

I hate Islam with passion.

it beats me how sum of you dudes here reason,why are you a christian if i may ask?u were born a christian and most muslims are muslims by birth as well,with this your hate,if christians will form a sect you'll be a member cos u re a bigot nd extreemist.this topic is not related to religeon atall.
Last Bullet:Tolerance is the way forward in religeous issues.

In a brief press statement today, Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka has warned against the threat to democracy in Nigeria in the crisis in Rivers State. He drew attention to the core of the issue that he said will not go unchallenged even after the Rivers crisis has been resolved.

It would be recalled that Governor Rotimi Amaechi defeated Governor Jonah Jang by 19 votes to 16 to clinch the chairmanship of the Nigeria Governors Forum, a victory that the presidency has refused to accept. The numbers 27 and 5 refer to the situation in the Rivers House of Assembly where the five supporters of the presidency, including one who has said that First Lady Patience Jonathan is "his Jesus Christ", are attempting to use presidential support to rewrite the State's democracy.

At a press conference last Thursday, Professor Soyinka and Femi Falana (SAN), criticized the role of Mrs. Jonathan in the crisis, dismissing her as a "mere domestic appendage of power."

In today's press statement, Soyinka took a broader view of things. "For the rest, since beneath the surface of most Nigerian conflicts will be found inordinate greed for public resources, it is perhaps pertinent to remind ourselves that Oil is not the only marvel to emerge from the Delta swamps," he said. "There are also exotic creatures - mermaids, manatees, even mammy watas and hippopotami. However, unlike crude oil, which can be refined, you can extract a hippopotamus from the swamps, but you cannot take the swamp out of the hippopotamus."

Full text of the statement:

PRESS STATEMENT

In Public Interest, in order to eliminate all further distraction and enable the nation to concentrate on issues that affect the democratic pursuit, it is necessary to make the following information available:

Before the press conference held by Femi Falana and myself - that is, even before the Rivers Assembly fracas - I had been canvassed by opposing sides of the face-off, both via telephone and physically. One such visit, perhaps the most significant, was made by a Special Adviser in the presidency who outlined what can be regarded as the official rationale for the Governors' Forum election debacle. In the process of this exchange, he did make certain complaints against Governor Rotimi Amaechi, including charges of a conflict of interests over certain resources. This was implied as the root of division between the Governors' Forum and the Presidency.

I wrote down the details, informed the emissary that I would pass on these accusations to Governor Amaechi - which I did. That Amaechi hotly denied them and offered contradicting facts, which he urged me to verify, remained, and remains utterly irrelevant to the democratic core of the conflict - and this has been made clear to all interventionists: Keyed into this core are:

(i) the arithmetics of democracy involved in figures 16 and 19 at the time, and now, with increased confidence in impunity, the figures 27 and 5.

(ii) whether or not it is democratic, even cultured proceeding that a state governor is barred from public access anywhere within his own zone of constitutional authority, with the massive security apparatus of the centre, on behalf of an unelected individual.

Even after the Rivers crisis has been resolved, this notorious proceeding will not be permitted to fester unchallenged.

For the rest, since beneath the surface of most Nigerian conflicts will be found inordinate greed for public resources, it is perhaps pertinent to remind ourselves that Oil is not the only marvel to emerge from the Delta swamps. There are also exotic creatures - mermaids, manatees, even mammy watas and hippopotami. However, unlike crude oil, which can be refined, you can extract a hippopotamus from the swamps, but you cannot take the swamp out of the hippopotamus.

Wole SOYINKA

Bigcake: Mr Tofa, also warn Ameachi to desist frm betraying his kinsman. To be a President is not a day job,so he must respect Gej. If not, you Mr Tofa wld hav become a President n to fail woefully

smh for dis post,maybe its not easy when sumone dies and u inherite presidency,which agreement did GEJ make with Ameachi that Ameach betrayed him?or is it your choice of words that is the problem?1st Betrayal and secondly,Beign president not beign a days job in the case of GEJ does not apply to the factual situation on ground

[quote author=la_unique]I'm sick and tired - and also bored - of all these attacks on Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. I believe that all these things are engineered and carefully stage-managed somewhere in the country by people who hate to hear that Jonathan is the president and not someone they annointed or someone from their region or from their political party. These enemies of the public would do anything possible just to see that he is booted out of office.

It's not like this man is the worst president that has ever RULED - yes, that's the word, because our ''leaders" don't lead us - Nigeria, but he is not a saint either. For example we no longer hear of extrajudicial political killings that were rife some years back. Political opponents are no longer assassinated, the economy is booming though some people would want us to believe otherwise and the government is, to some extent, more accountable to the people than it used to be. Only recently, copy-copy journalists and armchair political analyst (or pundits as they style themselves) can now spew trash on the pages of Newspapers and insult their Head of State on the internet without the fear of being assassinated at any time. Worst of all, supposed elder statesmen now come out in the open and boldly say, throwing courtesy to the gutters, that the president should be held responsible if a certain prodigal governor in the south south is killed.

This is the same governor who has been in a much publicized battle of supremacy and popularity with his commander-in-chief over things that would only serve the interest of his pockets - and that of his children and relations - and not the masses that he is now running to for sympathy when the heat has obviously become too much for him. He has also inadvertently placed the security and life of these so-called sympathizers who give little thought to their actions in grave danger should they draw out their swords, scribble instinctive messages on placards and proceed to the street to engage each other in Egyptian-style combat. Tomorrow now the headline in one of the national dailies would read: "Two lose their lives in Port Harcourt in a pro-Amaechi protest as security forcea open fire". When will Nigerians wake up and stop being gullible and believing every lie they told? When are Nigerians going to stop being manipulated by the polarized media and some mischievous political actors who are only out for their own interests and don't give a hoot for the country?[/quote]quite bigotry,I mean even if GEJ is a saint as u have claimed in this piece,your failure to point to the fact that its unnecesary for him to sit and be engeneering crisis in the home state of his wife is condemnable,if all well meaning nigerians come out to cut the excesses of their leaders by critisizin tyrany/oppresive acts,it'll be comendable,don't forget that not so soon GEJ was also a victim of dis oppresion from the Northern Leaders and all nigerians came out to support him,what's good for the goose is good for the Gander

A former presidential candidate, Bashir Tofa, has advised President Goodluck Jonathan to learn from history over the ongoing feud between him and the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.

Various incidents of violence have occurred in Rivers with many linking them to the political feud between the president and the Rivers governor. The presidency has insisted Mr. Jonathan is not a party to the crisis.

Mr. Tofa, who issued a statement on Friday in Kano, said, "What is happening in Rivers State is clearly very dangerous, not only to the lives of Governor Amaechi, may be even his family and others, but to the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria."

The Kano based politician also said: "One wonders where else from Bayelsa and Rivers? Will Jigawa, Sokoto, Oyo, Adamawa and Edo be next? This dangerous trend must be stopped immediately.

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"The President must know that he is treading on a very dangerous course, and he needs to be advised for his own sake."

He said that even though President Jonathan may be a good man at heart, "he seems to be a very week leader, who just does what some hirelings close to him ask him to do or, may be, even do without his consent, but cannot say or do anything to call them to order."

You won't be president forever

Mr. Tofa, the candidate of the National Republican Convention in the 1993 presidential election, said there must be a few people around the president, "who must summon the courage to tell him the truth, one of which is that the day will surely come when he will no longer be the President, in just a few years time, and the law will then catch up with him.

"We have seen many much more powerful world leaders who are now in prison over issues of murders of opponents, corruption and human rights abuses. We do not want to see any of our past leaders in the dock, either here at home or in The Hague for any reason.

"I used to think, and even said it publicly, that President Jonathan, may be anything but a dictator or an evil man, seeing the criticisms and, sometimes even the rubbish being thrown at him, without him responding angrily. I myself have criticized him a few times, hoping he will take heed, and hopefully he does," Mr. Tofa said.

"If, for whatever reason, someone dies in Rivers State as a result of this unfortunate fracas, the President cannot escape liability, even if it is vicarious. We witnessed what happened to the former Governor of Bayelsa, H. E. Mr. Sylva Timpere, out of this personal vendetta; and we have seen what happened at the Nigerian Governors Forum, just to project self interest.

"Most people blame the President and his First Lady for fermenting these rather un-presidential behaviours. The President must begin to act as the President, above these fetish things, and do away with visiting vengeance or calamity on those he was told that do not support him. He may have enemies even in his own house, and he has to find a wiser way of dealing with situations like that," he added.

Mr. Tofa said many Nigerians would consider the happenings now to determine whether or not to support the president in future. He said the Rivers crisis could have an eventual effect on Nigeria's young democracy.

"Forget about the President's records, or whether he will end up in a certain Court of law somewhere. What if he drags us and this democracy into the abyss out of which we cannot escape?

"Please, Mr. President, recollect yourself, be strong and be the leader that we all expect you to be. Triviality And vengeance are not the food of leaders, but that of fools," Mr. Tofa said.

edunwosu: Mind you I don't do copy and paste, if Amaechi is respecting the president then while all these fight, is the Amaechi only Governor in Nigeria? Can Amaechi disturbed the governance of OBJ if it where his time.Let me tell you the root of this fight, Amaechi is rooting for Lamido of Jigawa for the office of the president with hope he be offered a vp slot, if not for this reason then tell why Amaechi fight, he is on his last term of office, so why fighting the president, Obi of Anambra and that of lagos and many others are in their final term.
What does it take to say am sorry to Jonathan and face your work in Rivers if not that to fight the president because he knows he is not coming back to office again.

my friend you have said it all,its all speculation,givin Ameachi a bad name to hang him,if truely Ameachi is rootin 4 Sule Lamido as VP,why is the president not fighting the Sule Lamido(the main/major opposition) dis hard?bkos ordinarily,even if Ameachi decides not to come as vp to Lamido,Lamido'll obviously still contest from the speculation,Ameachis fight is simply Patience Johnathans fight,but we forget in this country soo soon,Turai dint do this stuff to any governor,rather she was busy arranging her daughters for them to marry,Jonathan

BREAKING NEWS: House Of Reps Takes Over Functions Of Rivers House Of Assembly
10.07.2013, 14:45 Politics
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Following the violence that occurred at the Rivers State House of Assembly on Tuesday, the House of Representatives has taken over the functions of the Rivers Assembly.

The federal lawmakers took the decision on Wednesday following debates and approval of a motion and based on section 11, sub section 4 of the 1999 Constitution.

The section states that "At any time when any House of Assembly of a state is unable to perform its functions by reason of the situation prevailing in the state,

The National Assembly may make such Laws for the peace, order and good government of that state with respect to matters on which a House of Assembly may make laws as may appear to the National Assembly to be necessary or expedient until such time as the House of Assembly is able to resume its functions; and any such laws enacted by the National Assembly pursuant to this section shall have effect as if they were laws enacted by the House of Assembly of the state."

Crisis had engulfed the Rivers House of Assembly on Tuesday when five members out of 32 attempted to impeach the Speaker, Otelemaba Amachree.

The confusion that followed led to violence among the state lawmakers with videos of the violence circulated on social media.

Wednesday's sitting was chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Emeka Ihedioha

The Rivers state House of Assembly witnessed a very rowdy session today for some minutes after two months of adjournment as pro-Governor Rotimi Amaechi legislators battled five renegade lawmakers rooting for the political opponents of the governor.
The minority lawmakers, whose agenda was to impeach the governor made the impeachment of Speaker Otelemaba Amachree and other principal officers the first priority. They thus stole into the House of Assembly at about 8.30 am earlier before the normal sitting of the House and smuggled in a mace.
But they met eight Pro- Amaechi lawmakers including the Speaker Otelemaba Amachree, Chidi Llyod, the majority Leader and six others in the assembly.
Frustrated that their coup was a mission impossible , one of the five rebels, Evans Bapakaye Bipi, went straight to Chidi Llyod’s seat and physically assaulted him.
As Llyod and Bipi were having a fisticuff, the Speaker who stepped in to separate them was also attacked by Bipi.
Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly Chidi Lloyd in the clinic after being beaten by armed thugs
Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly Chidi Lloyd in the clinic after being beaten by armed thugs
A free-for -all started, with blows being exchanged by both sides.
Lloyd was injured, while Martins Amaehule another anti-Ameachi Lawmaker representing Obio-Akpor was also injured and rushed to St Patricks Hospital at Ogbunabali in Port Harcourt for treatment.
As the fracas degenerated, some of the pro-Amaechi lawmakers ran for their dear lives because of the many thugs brought into the Assembly premises by Bipi and his group.
The moment was seized by the minority lawmakers, as a member of the group, Victor Ihunwo, representing Port Harcourt constituency stepped into the Speaker’s seat to “Pilot “ the affairs.
Martins Amaehule moved the “motion” for the “Impeachment” of the Speaker who has been rushed out after the physical assault. Kelechi Worgu an anti-Amaechi, representing Omuma Constituency “supported” the motion and thereafter announced Bipi as the new “Speaker.”
Governor Amaechi who was alerted about the fracas and the breakdown of law and order at the Assembly, arrived at the Assembly chambers, just in time to hear Evans Babakaya Bipialaka give a vote thanks for his ‘election’ as speaker of four other members.
According to witnesses, Bipialaka on sighting the Governor, ordered some thugs and policemen to “shoot him…shoot him”, pointing at the Governor.
Amaechi was said to have walked towards him and replied: “Shoot me?”
The Governor thereafter ordered his security men that came with him to arrest Bipialaka. But Bipi’s orderly and Policemen who came with him resisted the arrest.
Bipi is the lawmaker who represents Ogu-Bolo Constituency, whose wedding was attended several weeks ago by Mrs Patience Jonathan as a Special Guest of Honour and Mother of the Day.
After the confrontation with the governor, Bipi and other other four lawmakers opposed to Amaechi left the assembly with their thugs.
After calm was restored, the house was re-convened at exactly 11.40 am with the Speaker, Otelemaba Dan-Amachree, presiding with 22 Lawmakers present.
P.M.News observed that there was still tension with thugs supporting the anti-Amaechi shouting that they be allowed into the Assembly but were prevented by pro-Amaechi supporters and House of Assembly Policemen.
The Governor later presented a minor amendment of the 2013 budget as it affects the capital expenditure only.
Mr Tele Ikuru,the Deputy Governor who read the proposed minor amendment on behalf of the Governor explained that the minor amendment only affects the capital expenditure.
The Deputy Leader Robinson Nnam Ewor moved a motion for the adoption of amendment and was supported by Mrs.Irene Inigba,the Chief Whip supported the motion.
Golden Chioma ,representing Etche Constituency II moved a motion that the amendment should be committed to the committee of the whole house.
The Speaker asked if there was a counter-motion but there was none.
The amendment was committed into the House of the whole of 22 members present and was later adopted. Amaechi had 28 members on his side since the political fight started. Those that were not at the sitting were said to have sustained injuries and were undergoing medical treatment.
However, Freddy Itolo-Ofen,the Press Secretary to Bipi told P.M.News in an interview that his boss was properly elected as the Speaker of the House by the Five lawmakers.
“Hon Evans Bipialaka the New Speaker was making his vote of thanks when the Governor arrived and ordered that he should be arrested, but was resisted by Bipialaka and his orderly

Chaos In Rivers Assembly As “Five Lawmakers” Attempt To Impeach Speaker
Agency Report - 34 mins agoNATIONAL, NEWS

Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State today personally foiled an attempt to impeach the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, news website, SaharaReporters is reporting.
The speaker, Otelemaba Amachree, had convened a session of the legislature in order to amend certain portions of the Rivers State budget. The session followed a prolonged crisis in the state caused by alleged schemes by President Goodluck Jonathan and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to impeach Mr. Amaechi, who is deemed an impediment to the president’s ambition to seek a second term.
Two lawmakers loyal to Mr. Amachree told Saharareporters that the speaker sensed there was trouble in the air after he sent letters summoning members to today’s session.
“The speaker now sent a message to the state commissioner of police and the brigade commander and leader of the Joint Task Force to ask for security to enable the house [to] sit,” said one of the lawmakers.
The other legislative source added that, unknown to the speaker, five renegade members of the assembly loyal to President Jonathan had met with the commissioner of police overnight and arranged to come prepared to impeach the speaker. “When we arrived at the state assembly today, we were surprised to see a huge number of military men and well armed policemen,” said the source.
The report said trouble soon started as a member of the house, Evans Bapakaye Bipi, representing Ogu/Bolo constituency arrived with thugs, pounced on the house leaders, Michael Chinda and Chidi Lloyd, while the police and the military kept their distance.
When Governor Amaechi heard of the fracas and the refusal of the police and members of the JTF to intervene, the report said, he rushed to the house with his aides and armed escorts and succeeded in rescuing members of the house loyal to him.
As the governor and majority of the legislators were leaving the site of the mayhem, they discovered that five renegade members of the house empowered by President Jonathan had seized the mace. They then ran back to retrieve the mace from the minority group, our sources said.
The video below captured attack led by a member of the Rivers State house of assembly in an attempt to impeach the speaker of the house.
The Speaker and 26 other members of the house are loyal to the governor, Rotimi Amaechi, while five others led by Evans Bapakaye Bipi, representing Ogu/Bolo constituency are loyal to President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience.
Mr. Bipi here is seen arriving the house with thugs, he later attacked the camera crew before breaking into the chambers to attack his colleagues.
Watch video on mobile here.

Breaking: Court grants N250mn bail to cop that allegedly killed subsidy protester
Ben Ezeamalu - 1 hour agoNATIONAL, NEWS

The cop allegedly killed the protester during the 2012 protest.
A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has granted bail to Segun Fabunmi, the dismissed Divisional Police Officer, who allegedly shot a protester during the 2012 fuel subsidy protests.
The trial judge admitted bail to Mr. Fabunmi in the sum of N250 million with two sureties who must, each, have landed property in Lagos worth N100 million.

Senators go violent over Jonathan’s State of the Nation address
Ini Ekott - 1 hour agoNATIONAL, NEWS

Two senators set out for a brawl.
The Nigerian Senate relived a brief moment of its chaotic past Wednesday after two members targeted each other at an irate session over a proposed law compelling the president to deliver a state of the nation address yearly.
Kabiru Garba Marfa, who represents Zamfara State, and Paulinus Igwe, a Senator from Ebonyi State, set out for fisticuffs before they were separated by several other senators who had deliberated the law for hours without a decision.
The legislation, approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives, has been rejected by President Goodluck Jonathan who has raised concerns with several aspects of the bill.
As passed, the bill will make it mandatory for Mr. Jonathan and future presidents to present State of the Nation address on the first legislative day of every July before a joint sitting of the National Assembly.
Also, both chambers will have the right to summon the president if he fails to appear in person on the date.
Mr. Jonathan said the bill, awaiting his assent since March, contravenes the constitution which already spells out the conditions for his appearing before a joint session of the National Assembly.
The president offered to approve the bill if the timeline for the address is adjusted to allow him 30 days after the first legislative day; and if he is allowed the flexibility to inform the leadership of the two chambers if he is unable to appear in person, and to have the power to delegate the vice president to deliver the address.
While the constitution bars the president from amending a passed bill, the senate’s internal rule allows him; a major issue which split members apart on which to follow.
At a session to consider the request on Wednesday, lawmakers sternly criticised the president for seeking an amendment only after the law has been passed by both houses, and pushed for a veto of the president’s refusal.
“Sections 88 b and c. 58(of the constitution) says once a bill is proposed by NASS, the president has three options. Let’s take advantage of Section 88, send it to the conference committee and let them advise us if we should override the president’s veto,” the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, said.
As the debates became unusually stormy, Mr. Ekweremadu proposed the deliberation be suspended to allow for more consultation with the House of Representatives and lawyers. The move was rejected by majority of the members who feared deference may save the matter in favour of the president.
When the Senate president put the question for an adjournment, those opposed secured an easy win, and the chamber soon degenerated into chaos with Messrs Igwe and Marfa trading barbs and aiming for each other, refreshing memories of the years the senate was renowned at for violence over repeated leadership change.
The duo were promptly restrained from attacking each other. It remained unclear what particularly irked the two lawmakers.
The Senate later adjourned deliberation on the bill.
At a briefing later, Senate spokesperson, Enyinnaya Abaribe, denied the brawl was over the president’s address. He said the lawmakers only reacted over a motion due for presentation on Thursday, which will consider a planned arming of vigilantes in Zamfara State.
Senate president, Mr. Mark, urged for calm and cautioned that the matter cannot be resolved through “the fists”.

I’m Old Enough To Be Your Father, Jang Tells Amaechi
Posted by: Channels Television Posted date: June 27, 2013
The factional leader of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Governor of Plateau state Governor, Jonah Jang, has said he is not quarrelling with Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State insisting that he is too old for such squabbles.

Speaking to journalist at the sideline of the dinner organised by President Goodluck Jonathan to celebrate his mid-term in office, Mr Jang said he is old enough to be Mr Amaechi’s father.

He said, “Amaechi is my younger brother, infact, I can say son because if you look at Amaechi’s age, I’m old enough to be his father.”

Ask to respond to Mr Amaechi’s statement that he polled 19 to defeat him at the NGF elections, Mr Jang said, “Well, that is his problem but I know that I am the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.”

Mr Amaechi defeated Mr Jang of Plateau by 19 votes to 16 last month to re-emerge as the forum’s chairman. Mr Jang, alongside 15 other governors have since formed a parallel forum.

For the first time since the election that  caused a division in  the Nigeria Governors' Forum, almost all the 36 state governors converged on the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday for a   mid-term dinner organised by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The two main antagonists in the NGF crisis Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, who won the  May 24 election of the forum and Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State, who leads a faction of the group- attended the event.

Although Jang and members of his faction were already seated before the arrival of the President which signalled the commencement of the dinner, Amaechi and his loyalists arrived at the same time shortly after the event had started.

A mild drama however played out when Amaechi, who cancelled a meeting of the NGF earlier scheduled for 8pm on Wednesday,  joined the table where Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State and others were already seated.

In the process of exchanging pleasantries, Amaechi was heard pointing to Akpabio and saying, "No, you can never be a democrat."

Some governors in the Amaechi faction were initially  seated among journalists at the back of the hall before they were  ushered in   to the front where seats were reserved for them.

The other  governors  in attendance were  those of Niger, Lagos, Nasarawa, Imo, Edo, Adamawa, Zamfara, Ogun, Kano, Ekiti and Jigawa.

Others were the governors of  Sokoto, Cross River, Bauchi, Abia, Plateau, Kogi, Ebonyi , Ondo, Delta, Anambra and Kaduna states.

The  acting governor of Taraba State and the deputy governors of Bayelsa, Kwara, Katsina, Benue and Gombe States were also in attendance.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwwal, was however  absent at the dinner attended by the President of the Senate, David Mark; and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.

The dinner was still ongoing at the time of filing this report.

Before the cancellation  of the NGF meeting, some of the Pro-Amaechi governors had converged on the Rivers State Governor's Lodge, Asokoro, where they took the final decision to  attend the dinner.

In a brief chat with journalists before they moved to the Villa, Amaechi said "We have shifted the meeting to honour the invitation sent to us for dinner by the President. We would have loved to meet, but we have to honour the President's invitation.

Nnanna nzewi: Amaechi is a saleout and the northerners will use him and dump him.he is finished politically.I pity him.

#speak for yourself my friend,nobody has monopoly of ambition,or are you even from rivers state?how is he finished politically?Bigots lyk you need to get jobs and work across nigeria to be exposed so d@ u'll nah come here and generally speak about northerners,the myopic thought is that all northeners are fulanis and hausas,do you even know how many states are in the north?Soo because Jonathan is president he now chooses who Ameachi talks to and make friends with?

Miss Feferity: Hello all!

Nigerian Wedding Lover over here!

Okay, So my Naija wedding paroles cannot be complete without

Small Chops ( Mosa for life!), Malt, Some Iyanya on the beat and Jollof Rice....Dazz alll

U nko?

the most funny part is when sumone takes one thousand naira note and make fifty naira change to spray 400 naira and keeps d remaining 600 naira for anoda wedding.

[quote author=Don Demu]www.dailytrust.com.ng/index.php/politics/56880-suswam-pulls-out-of-northern-governors-forum[/quote.can sumone help me and ask Suswam what he has done since he became the governor of Benue state?he desperately needs to allign himself with the Jang faction of NGF because if he dares not,His name'll be sorry,its only performing Governors that voted against Jang.he cant even face Babangida Aliyu nd co Wamako.wetin him go even get to tell them?